Covina-Valley Unified teachers poised to strike with just hours left to reach agreement

With just hours left to reach a contract agreement, Covina-Valley Unified School District educators are poised to strike as early as Thursday morning. 

Hundreds of protestors gathered early Wednesday morning outside of the district’s headquarters E. Badillo St. in Covina. For the next 12 hours they pushed their message across as they hoped to reach an agreement before the December 1 deadline.

“If we can’t get this done tonight, our union has already voted and we will strike starting tomorrow,” said Mark Signaigo, an eighth grade U.S. history teacher with the district. 

With 96% approval from members to strike if necessary, more than 13,000 students across 18 different campuses.

Covina Unified Education Association, the union representing teachers with the district, says that they have been trying to resolve three major issues in negotiations for more than a year now: salary, health and welfare benefits, and changes to special education teacher responsibilities.

“In a report issued last week, a neutral state-appointed fact-finder recommended a settlement framework for those issues that rejects the Districts proposal to cut health benefits, and said in the report a settlement “should be achievable.” Current district proposals are divisive and treat employees inequitably,” a statement from CUEA said.

Signaigo said that the district’s proposal to cap their healthcare benefits is the primary sticking point in negotiations.

“We have taken moderate pay because we got good health insurance, that’s been the thing that draws teachers to Covina-Valley,” he said, noting that they’re also fighting to make sure special education teachers have a seat at the table when negotiating the district’s proposed increase in their workload.

Even with the looming strike, the district plans to continue on as scheduled — teachers or not.

“While the district continues to look for ways in which to reach an agreement and avert a strike, please be assured that the district is committed to keeping our schools open and providing a safe learning environment for all students,” said a press release on C-VUSD’s website from Superintendent Elizabeth Eminnizer. 

“It’s gonna be glorified daycare,” Signaigo said. “It’s gonna be large groups of students in big rooms like the library and the cafeteria with maybe an assistant principal or a counselor with 80 maybe over 100 kids.”

The district did say that despite plans to keep schools open, all after-school sports, field trips and competitions would be cancelled throughout the duration of strike activity.

Signaigo said he and the other teachers have received outstanding support from some of the parents, whom he hopes see how passionate they are about teaching. 

“For me, this is also modeling for my students — when you see something worth fighting for you stand up and you fight, you don’t fold because someone’s trying to bully you down.”